Unrequited
by JPLegends
Summary: Four months after the defeat of Ganon, Hyrule is steadily being rebuilt and the Yiga clan is about to declare war. Link is on a downhill spiral due to his inability to remember Mipha, and Zelda, under pressure and guilt for Link's state, is too nervous to help him. Things are going downhill for Link, and Zelda doesn't know how to confess her feelings. And then, along comes Paya...
1. Pain

**Okay, last year sucked. Not gonna lie, I had an awful time. More details in the bottom AU. But enough about me. This is an idea that I came up with that- to my knowledge- hasn't been done before. It'll be long, drawn out, and mostly ad-libbed. But I hope you enjoy my new personal project and vent mechanism. It's called "Unrequited," and you should be seeing it a lot. You should also be seeing a similar type of style in another story I'm coming up with, which is based around "Detroit: Become Human." Details in the bottom AU on what exactly the plan is, but you don't care about that right now. As always, I do not own Legend of Zelda, neither its characters, ideas, so on and so forth. Please, enjoy….**

UNREQUITED

A Legend of Zelda Story

 **God bless, JPLegends**

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PAIN

" _May I ask? Do you really remember me?_ "

Link thought about that question every single day. And he has had a lot of days to think about it. It has been four months since Calamity Ganon had been sealed away in a brilliant flash of golden light by the Princess, Zelda. And considering everything that had happened up to that point, Link felt a massive weight lifted off of his shoulders at that moment.

He had put so much effort into battling the hordes of Calamity Ganon's creatures, foiling the Yiga at every turn, and ending the oppression and near extinction of the goron, the rito, the zora, and the gerudo. Link had put so much effort into preparing, praying, and finally fighting the evil incarnate. So when it was over, Link was relieved. And although he is a warrior by trade, he was more than happy to help Zelda rebuild Hyrule back into its former might and prestige.

So much responsibility, so much effort. But none of it compared to that one damned question.

" _May I ask? Do you really remember me?_ "

Link had been asked that question many times over the course of his adventure. The Ghost of King Hyrule had asked him, Impa had asked him, Purah had asked him, the King of the Zora asked him, and finally Zelda. And every single time, Link felt a twang of guilt that he could never remember a specific face. Especially in the zora community. Those people lived much longer than hylians, and many remembered Link from childhood to adulthood, and from adulthood to elderly age. Link always felt disappointed in himself when he saw the faces of the people who knew and loved him so much in the past. And then, they learn that Link doesn't remember anything.

None of that compared to Mipha. And how crushing it was to Link.

Link teared up looking at the Lightscale Trident, strewn up on his wall at his home in Hateno Village. It belonged to Mipha, of the zora. Mipha, who loved Link a century ago. Mipha, who planned to marry Link when this Calamity Ganon mess was over. Mipha, who died when Calamity Ganon had returned.

Mipha, the Champion of the Zora. Who Link could not remember at all.

Words could not describe the complete and utter dread Link felt when he learned everything about Mipha. He spent an afternoon in an inn, a complete wreck. When he liberated Vah Rutah, it was even worse. Link was too stunned and ashamed to speak, watching and listening to the Spirit of Mipha. She radiated love and compassion, and seemed so in touch with her fate being dead. However, Link- being really good at deciphering emotions for some Goddess forsaken reason- could tell Mipha was in an insane amount of pain not being able to interact with Link properly. She couldn't touch him, she couldn't be with him. It pained her deeply, and Link could tell. And- almost like fate- Mipha would heal him whenever he fell in battle. Every single time he felt the healing warmth, he longed for Mipha to be back in his reality. Every time he rose from battle, Mipha speaking softly in his ear, he wanted to lock fingers. He wanted to reach out and grab the ornate jewelry she owned on her arm. He wanted to say something. A thank you, a bad joke….

An apology.

Link never got his chance. After Calamity Ganon fell, Mipha's Grace was lifted. Mipha's spirit had moved on. And now, Link was alone. No memory of those closest to him. Repentance so close and almost achievable, to be stripped away. And along with that hope, memory.

" _May I ask? Do you really remember me?_ "

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Zelda thought about that question every single day. And she's had a lot of time to think about it. Even now as she was scribbling away in her notebook at her study, she was thinking about why in the Goddess' name she ever asked that question. She tried to shove that frustrating piece of dialogue to the back of her brain, instead focusing on what she was supposed to be doing. Establishing patrolled trading routes between the zora, hylians, and sheikah so that there were less Yiga attacks on the caravans. But as she was writing about the specifics of this one forested route, she made the same typo three times in a row. After the third error, she crossed out the word "saef," the misspelled version of "safe" so hard that it tore a hole in the paper she was writing. She put her quill down, and leaned back in her rickety chair, her hands over her eyes. She could feel the dim candlelight burn lukewarm a short distance away, giving her ruined surroundings a sense of familiarity.

Since Calamity Ganon was sealed away, much of the first month was spent setting up ties between Hateno Village, Kakariko Village, Zora's Domain, and all the stables in between. As such, people agreed to start a residence in Hyrule Castle Town once Link and a couple of volunteers- like Prince Sidon and the rito warrior Teba- cleared out the area. The integration was admittedly slow, but once the newly established hylian civilization had their legs under them, they were more than happy to start remaking a society. With little guidance from Zelda, the villagers started producing materials in excess, sending out convoys to negotiate with stables or the other races, and- although the military experience was slim, a militia was quickly formed. These soldiers would defend the people that needed defending, and also helped clear out some of the ruins in the countryside. They were unprofessional, but once Teba saw potential, he was happy to start training the hylian military.

Zelda was fine with not being needed to lead at the moment. She necessarily didn't want it in the first place, and her position as "queen" wasn't official yet. So much to do. While the hylians started taking care of more hylians, she and Link were hard at work talking to Zora's Domain and, most recently, Goron City. They were always on the move while working out trade, military, and land details. Although it helped that the producing hylians had managed to clean up Hyrule Castle Proper. Here, in her recreated room and study high above the ground, she could plan, write letters, and think for her people. Although thinking was often the most dangerous part.

The castle, although admittedly in better shape than it used to be for the last century, still did not feel like home. It never felt warm enough, it never felt complete, and by the Goddess, it sure didn't feel safe. And it didn't help that after all this time of rebuilding, exploring, and forging, Hyrule still felt unsafe. There were still the remnants of Ganon's forces roaming the landscape to worry about, and until they could properly talk to the rito or gerudo, they had no way to properly deal with the Yiga clan. While the zora and gorons helped with trade, production, and sometimes muscle, the roads were still very unsafe. There was no guarantee that the already established villages could hold on their own properly either, with the population being stretched to compensate for regrowth.

And unsafe surroundings led to unsafe thoughts.

" _May I ask? Do you really remember me?_ "

Why did she ask that? Why in Hylia's name did she ask that?

Rhetorical question. Zelda knew exactly why she had asked that question, but she knew that she's above said reason. She had spent so long enveloped by Calamity Ganon's malice, hatred, and rage, watching the landscape burn to ash. Watching her people being slaughtered indiscriminately. Watching everyone she knew and loved either die in the fire of the Calamity or in some hovel waiting for a hope that wouldn't come in generations. She was subject to grief, hatred and suffering for so long that the years blurred together, and although she didn't remember every detail of being trapped for so long, she remembered being perpetually cold, tired, hungry, and tearful. For a century. All in the hope that Link would save their home.

Link, the man that she had fallen in love with before the Calamity. He had saved her life, and before that, he had stuck with her through thick and thin. Even when she was, frankly, really disrespectful of him. Zelda eventually grew to know Link as the man he truly is: a hearty, loyal, courageous young man who would put his life on the line over and over again for a just cause. Zelda started forming a tight friendship with Link, and that friendship turned into closeness. And then that closeness turned into a schoolgirl crush.

Not too long after, Zelda got to see firsthand just how devoted Link was to his princess. He faced a Guardian head on, wounded and bleeding out. Zelda managed to protect him, but he passed out in her arms, his last moments trying his best to keep awake. In a last ditch effort, Zelda placed Link in a Slumber of Restoration, hoping he will come back reinvigorated. Zelda knew that he would lose his memories, but it was the best shot to save him, the kingdom, and herself. In that order.

After watching Link and his journeys to save the people of Hyrule, as well as fighting by his side to seal away Calamity Ganon, she was so happy to see him again. She had spent a century, suffering in darkness and hatred. And now, she was free and face to face with her knight. Her _light_. She was so ecstatic, she had to ask him that dreaded question….

" _May I ask? Do you really remember me?_ "

That day, Zelda was met with a look of shame and regret. Although Link confirmed that he had a large assortment of his memories back, it was hard for him to fill in a lot of the blanks. And although he tried his best to hide his emotions, Zelda had known him for a long time. She knew that he was hurting, and that look of shame never left his eyes whenever they met up to talk strategy, military, or just casual conversation. She felt as if the Link she knew was gone, hidden underneath a mask of stoicism and depression. And with all things, she felt as if it was all her fault.

Zelda took a deep breath, and leaned back into her notebook. She tried to shove the thoughts of shame, regret and sadness back into the recesses of her mind. She misspelled "Yiga" five times.

" _May I ask? Do you really remember me?_ "

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 **Okay, details. So, as of the last year, I've suffered two deaths in my family, and life in general has just kinda been sucky. I've been unloading all my stress into a personal project, which I will NOT be talking about. But know that it's something new, it won't be on FanFiction or any other website, and I will not be using the pen name "JPLegends." I should have been paying more attention to this account, and I feel like I alienated a lot of people when I cancelled my Steven Universe story. It was just really hard to get back out there and keep at it with my writing. I just wasn't inspired and didn't want to keep going. But here I am. There's not going to be any guarantee that things will be 100% consistent, but I'll try my best and keep at it. As for "Unrequited" and the new Detroit story, these are designed to be things that I can work on without much thought while I work on the bigger projects, like Fallout, Destiny (I've had to make a lot of fundamental shifts to Destiny), and the one behind the scenes (which you will not be seeing any time this century). Enjoy "Unrequited," and enjoy the newer, higher quality me.**


	2. Resigned to Fate

**Okay, what exactly happened that caused everyone to jump on this bus? Because people jumped onto this concept really, really fast. Like, I'm honestly shocked. Well, I don't own Legend of Zelda or its characters, ideas, ect. If you have a comment or criticism, please leave a review. I hope you enjoy this chapter**

 **God bless, JPLegends**

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RESIGNED TO FATE

The sunlight woke Link up, blazing through his window. It was bright, illuminating every piece of dust in the room. The royal knight had to blink a few times to get his eyes to adjust to the sunlight but overall, he was in a much better mood than he was last night.

He sat up, letting his feet touch the wooden floor. He rubbed his eyes, rolled his shoulders, and stretched. He had a good sleep, and although last night was rough, sleep always helps. And the mornings are always better. He slips into those depressions every now and then, but it is nothing too permanent. It's better to just move on with life than to think about…. well, it's better not to think about it. To distract himself, he stood up and took a few strides over to his wardrobe. He put on his blue shirt, trousers and handy, worn boots. His long blond hair fell down over his blue eyes, which he corrected by sweeping his hair back.

He walked down the stairs separating the sleeping area from the living room. He took care not to look at the keepsakes on the wall, and walked out the door. Once again, he had to squint and cover his eyes at the bright day Hateno Village had to offer. The sun's beams of light reached out through the air, making every rooftop in the town a brighter shade of its predetermined color. The village nearby was already in full swing. Link didn't like not knowing what time it is, but Zelda has the Sheikah Slate, so he doesn't exactly have a choice in the matter. Either way, if he was needed, someone would have sent for Link.

He walked down to the village, getting several hellos from the townsfolk. All of them were very aware that he had conquered the Divine Beasts and battled Calamity Ganon, and all of them were aware that Link was one of the leading forces of Hyrule's reform. Every day, new traders came in from Kakariko Village, Zora's Domain, and every stable in between. All the trading was due to Zelda's careful planning, but most of the safe passages and military strength was due to Link's help. And although they were aware of Link's status, they always had a warm attitude and a welcome home to come back to. The gesture was nice, since some normalcy was nice every once in a while. Link liked being able to shop in a store for clothes and cooking supplies without everyone gawking at him. With that thought present in his mind, Link was suddenly reminded that he needed some milk and rice. He walked over to East Wind nearby to go and buy the groceries, but he was greeted with a gust of wind above his head. Something large.

Link subconsciously took a fighting stance as a large, eight-foot tall rito landed in front of him, having flown through the air above him. The rito stood tall, his avian features sharply taking in every detail in his surroundings. Link could tell from the decorated leather armor and the bow strapped around his waist that this rito is a warrior. And from his snow white feathers, yellow eyes and grey decals, Link recognized the rito as a friend.

"Link," Teba said modestly. Link nodded. Teba had been helping train Hyrule's different fighting groups, and has been giving Link's new militia his full support. If they could handle a bow, they were probably taught by Teba. "We were concerned. The caravan was supposed to leave an hour ago. Is anything wrong?"

Link hit himself inside his head. He had completely forgotten he was escorting this week's trade caravan. Typically, the militia members cover it pretty tightly. But more recently, people were pulling more intense hours, and a scouting group had been sent into Faron to make contact with Lurelin Village. Hateno had been completely without a form of escort for the trading group, so he was supposed to personally cover it. "Right, right, sorry," Link says, shaking his head. "Where are we headed again?"

"Zora's Domain, with overlay in Kakariko," Teba says, blinking sharply. "I'll go ahead and start scouting." Link nods. Teba's typical role in these escorts was to scout ahead for any potential threats and report back to the caravan when he sees anything. It is a method used for rito soldiers in the hylian army, and Link had planned it himself. It was a fine idea. Far from perfect, but fine. In a second, Teba lifts himself up with his massive wings and flies off with a gust of wind following him. Link sweeps the hair away from his eyes, and takes a deep breath. He's going back to Zora's Domain. He shoves that to the back of his head and sprints back to his house, intending to gear up as fast as possible.

He runs upstairs as fast as possible, slinging his quiver full of arrows around his hip. After slinging a bow around his shoulder, he runs back to the wardrobe to find his trusted weapon. The Master Sword, the blade of evil's bane sheathed away in its blue and gold encrusted scabbard, its cross guard spreading like wings, and putting the focus on a single amber gem in the center. The blade is heavy, and has a large amount of weight to it due to the lack of a fuller. But nevertheless, it is still an effective weapon. Link slings the weapon around his back and grabs the Hylian Shield that goes with it. The shield rocks a deep blue color, designed with the triforce and a type of ancient bird, the name of which is lost to time. He slings the object of defense around his back, and leaps over the banister, not bothering to take the stairs. He lands with a loud thud, and sprints to the door. He almost has it open before he hears a clang behind him.

Link spun around to find the culprit of the sound, and his stomach dropped when he saw the Lightscale Trident on the floor of his house. He must have caused the weapon to come loose when he jumped off of the banister, and it fell off of its display. Link walked over to Mipha's former weapon, and gingerly picked it up. He inspected it, handling the trident like it was a holy relic and a benevolent deity would strike him down for handling it wrong. He examined the silver, four-and-a-half foot silver rod that made up the length of the weapon, leading to a blue grip three-fourths of the way up. The head of the weapon was intricate and ornate. Beautiful, but deadly. The points of the trident branching out like branches from a tree, with three red gems resting in the design's largest holes. The weapon looked fragile and delicate, but Link had seen it cut down some of the fiercest foes in his time as a warrior. It sparkled in the sunlight, beckoning for him. Instead, Link slowly approached the display the weapon was on and put it back where it was before.

Link took a few steps back, taking a final glance at the Lightscale Trident. And then he sprinted out the house, slamming the door behind him.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A gentle breeze blew through Kakariko Village, and Paya had been feeling it all night.

She scrubbed at a statue of a hylian angel, her movements slow and heavy. She felt sluggish, but it wasn't due to her many hours of work. She had been long accustomed to her tedious work schedule and even more dangerous sleep cycle. The bags under her eyes existed for an entirely separate reason.

Dread.

In a few hours, Princess Zelda was going to arrive and speak to Impa about new trade plans. That fact alone isn't too bad. Paya is actually quite fond of Zelda. She is kind, polite, and more than a capable leader. The problem is that Link is meeting them at the same time for an overlay to Zora's Domain. As the new hylian military's general, Link needed to be in the meetings discussing the trade routes and the Yiga attacks that correspond with them. The problem is that Paya gets physically repulsed whenever Link and Zelda are in the same room together. It's as plain as day to her that Zelda is romantically attracted to Link. Her posture withers, her body language closes up, she forms a tight stutter, she can never make eye contact, she plays with her hair. It's obvious to Paya because she does the exact same thing.

It took a moment to notice that Paya was scrubbing at the statue rather aggressively. She has put more pressure on the sponge and was going really fast. Catching herself, Paya gasps and removes the sponge, brushing away the water to see if she damaged the statue. As expected, she accidentally buffed away some of the detail paint on the figure of Hylia's angel. Paya bows her head and sighs, her eyes closed.

"Hylia, forgive my insolence." Paya prays, hoping the deity hears her through the angel.

Paya has heard it a million times from her grandmother and the rest of the village, ever since she went on that stupid crusade to find medicine for 'love.' Just the thought of it made Paya cringe. She's well aware of the fact that she is a teenager, her body is maturing, and feelings for others go crazy during this time of life. She was one hundred percent fine with that. She had long ago accepted that her infatuation with Link was nothing more than a schoolgirl crush, and that she had no chance with him when he was going to inevitably court the princess. But during these nights where she operates off of little sleep, her head goes back to the lovesick thoughts of Link. His hair, his eyes, his form. Everything about him exuded confidence and passion. Those thoughts always filled her head at this time, ranging from innocent to carnal. Lack of sleep has the tendency to make someone think the most vulgar of thoughts.

She pushed that to the back of her head, trying not to think about that while doing service for Hylia. After wiping down the statue, Paya steps back and looks down at her handiwork, feeling satisfied. She stretches, her arms behind her head and decides to go get some shut eye. She passes Dorrian and Cado at the gate, noticing that they look as exhausted as she does. She walks up the bridge to the house, and silently opens the sliding door. If she manages to get through the living room as silently as possible, Impa won't wake up and Paya won't have to explain why she is late getting her work done. She slowly shuts the door behind her and looks at her grandmother. Her tiny and frail figure is motionless, with her massive rice hat covering her eyes. She never wears anything else than her robes and the hat with the big, red sheikah symbol on it. Paya tiptoes two steps before Impa holds out her hand.

"You haven't slept well in ages," Impa's voice says softly, piercing the silence of the room. "I worry for you, my child." Paya doesn't bother to look at Impa. Instead, she stares at the floor in front of her.

"I'm very sorry, grandmother," Paya stammers. "I've been up for a while, and I've been working a bit slowly is all. I promise it won't happen aga.…" She stops speaking when Impa holds her hand up again.

"You always get this way before Link and the Princess arrive," Impa says, looking up to look at Paya. "It happens without fail. And it isn't due to dislike for either of them. I know you are quite fond of Link, and you get on well with Princess Zelda. What do you think?" Impa looks at her granddaughter intently, who returns the gesture by keeping her gaze locked on the floor.

Paya tries her best to speak, but no words pass her lips. Instead, all of her words get caught in her throat. The most she manages to say is "I" before she looks back down to the floor and her ears turn pink. Her back is slouched, and her arms are folded in front of her stomach. She couldn't speak, but if she was, she would be stuttering. She fought the temptation to play with her hair out of stress. All Impa did in return was smile warmly.

"I get this feeling you still harbor a deep love for Link," Impa says slowly. "And you can't bear to see them together. Am I right in saying that?" Paya looks up to make eye contact with her grandmother. She had been honest with Impa when she first told her of her love, and Impa always had the most helpful things to say. But after a while, the same things get to be said over and over. Eventually, they all have no effect. And all that's left is what you believe to be the truth…

"It was nothing more- nothing more than a- a schoolgirl crush," Paya says. Stuttering. "I'm fine with Link and- with Link and Zelda courting one another. In time, my feelings- my feeling will subside. And this- this will all be nothing more- nothing more than an embarrassing memory."

"Do you believe that?" Impa asks. Paya shuts her mouth. Tears appear in the corners of her eyes, and her bottom lip starts to quiver. But she refuses to cry. Impa leans forward, a look of sympathy dotted across her face.

"Nothing makes one feel more miserable than love," Impa says. "People fight over it, people cry over it, and people do the more insane of things for it. But when all is said and done, no one should ever feel ashamed about love. And there is no shame in admitting everything you feel. Not just to the one you love, but to yourself. Understand?" Paya looks up, wiping the tears away from her eyes. She nods weakly. "Excellent. Then go get some sleep, Paya." And like that, Impa fell back into her pose and fell back asleep. Paya took a deep breath and tiptoed up the stairs, going to her room.

She wrote down everything in her diary. The innocent, the carnal. And then, she resigned to sleep.

* * *

 **Sorry this took so long. Cheers!**


	3. Stress

**The last chapter was a bit….dull for my taste. I'm really proud of Paya's segment, but not of the chapter itself. But it's okay. I've got plans. I don't own Legend of Zelda or its characters, ideas, ect. If you have a comment or criticism, please leave a review. I hope you enjoy this chapter**

 **God bless, JPLegends**

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STRESS

The night had been long and cold, and he had been traveling for almost the entire day. But Link was about to cross the ravine of Dueling Peaks, and he was hopeful.

The trade caravan consisted of two horse-pulled carriages carrying all sorts of luggage from Hateno meant to get to Zora's Domain, as well as four more guards with Link taking the lead. As such, what would typically be half a day's journey was turned into a day, and Link was staring into the black night with nothing but the stars, a waxing moon, and the lights of the nearby stable to guide him. The wind blew through his hair, and his breath turned into vapor. The cold was harsh, and it bit down to Link's core. But the trip has been largely uneventful, with the occasional traveler asking for directions.

Epona whinnied spitefully. She wasn't the same as his old horse, but she was fast, reliable, and had plenty of grit. Link had taken her out to get a braid, and officially named the brown horse after his former steed. Link rubbed the side of Epona's neck, which caused Epona to try and nuzzle into his hand. The two loved one another, but at the moment, Link could tell Epona was a little bitter about the cold. If only he could get a nice amount of hay and water. Then he could….

He pulled Epona to a stop, his ears twitching. He tried to listen to the disturbing sound, but the sound of the clatter behind him was covering it up. He raised his fist into the air, causing the caravan to stop and a soldier to warily ask what the holdup is. Link ignored him, and listened hard for the sound he sure wasn't part of the nature. After five seconds, he heard it. A soft hiss enveloping the group from all sides.

 _Hissssssssss…._

 _Twang!_

Link had just enough time to crack the reigns and try to start moving before there was a loud crash, and an explosion rocked at Epona's feet. The impact made Epona stand up on her hind legs, panicking at what is happening around her. Link lost his balance the second the explosion occurred, with flames licking at his heels and a warm orange glow envelope his senses. He couldn't hear anything, it was all chaos and screaming, and his vision was blurry right up until he hit the floor and felt the vibrations of Epona running away. In half a second, explosions had shattered all around the two carriages. And when Link got up, he was greeted with more horses panicking, soldiers looking desperately for the source of the attack, and the grass all around them ablaze. He tried to run for the carriages, thinking a mile a minute. What's happening? When will Teba be back to assist? Are they under attack? What caused the explosions? Evidently, bomb arrows. But who has bomb arrows? Is there a bokoblin horde here they haven't cleared out? The Yiga? How would they have access to bomb arrows? That train of thought ended when another bomb arrow exploded at Link's feels, sending him flying forward and eating dirt.

The caravan won't be able to take this much longer. First thing's first: find out who the attacker is, assess the situation, and find out where they are making their assault from. Link pushes himself up, scrambling low to the ground while spitting some dirt out of his mouth. Whatever horses they had ran off, and the guard detail is running around frantically trying to figure out what to do. ' _Move faster_.' Link puts his knees under him, and closes his eyes, expecting Revali's Gale to kick in any second now. In the chaos, he had completely forgotten that Revali had moved on into the afterlife after Calamity Ganon had been defeated, and Link no longer had Revali's Gale. Link heard another crack of an explosion, and a carriage carrying goods is toppled over. On fire. Link curses himself and stands on his feet. ' _Move faster_.' He looks at the fire blazing around him, knowing that they create updrafts which would give him a height advantage. Link runs and leaps into the fire, grabbing his paraglider and holding it over him. As expected, the wind from the fire manages to lift Link up before his boots touch the flames and once he is several meters above the ground, he takes in the sights.

Below him, the caravan is a mess. Fire is burning, and whatever good the carriages had may have been damaged. The horses are now completely gone, and the soldiers are either not moving or still running around having no idea what to do. They walked straight into an ambush, and Link is the only one with his head on straight. Looking around, he could tell that there were multiple targets but he couldn't see them very well. He could see two Yiga nearby firing their bows with bomb arrows. If Link had to predict the formation, he would say there are Yiga in a tactical diamond in these groups, meaning eight Yiga total. Four on the side of the caravan, and a few more on the other side of the Squabble River. Where did they get these bomb arrows from? He looked forward to the stable, and to the general area where Kakariko is. He couldn't see Teba anywhere. Link huffed in frustration and looked down, picking his targets. ' _Move faster_.'

He let go of his paraglider, and started falling towards the ground, seeing a Yiga he intended to attack. He drew his bow, forcefully pulling back an arrow and focusing, aiming for the eye of the upside-down sheikah logo. He released, and then drew another arrow and released. Both arrows hit their target before Link hit the ground, sending the footsoldier back, but not killing it. The second took his attention away from the caravan, his lanky figure moving in a way reminiscent of a spider. Link shouldered his bow and drew the Master Sword, rushing the Yiga aggressively. One running slash sent the soldier back, stumbling over his feet and releasing the two bomb arrows on his bow. Link ducks, feeling the fire and warmth of the explosions that went off somewhere nearby. The Yiga he had knocked down previously was on his toes, a sickle with a red hilt drawn. Link saw a flash of the red and black uniform before the upside-down, red crying eye was up against his face. Instinctively, Link leaped to the side and swung. The Yiga let loose a muffled shout before falling to the ground. He had enough time to draw his shield before he needed to block the second Yiga. He leapt forward, swinging down with the blade and cutting through the soldier's shoulder. The Yiga, with a staccato gasp, fell to his knees.

Link's ears twitched, hearing the very faint whistling of bomb arrows headed his way. He runs, hearing an explosion behind him fresh on his heels. If he doesn't keep moving, he'll get caught in the fire and he'll die. ' _Ignore the pain. Move faster._ ' What he has to do next is get to the Yiga on the other side of the tactical diamond. Hopefully, he'll have Teba to help him out soon. And then they can figure out how exactly the Yiga got so close to Kakariko in such a large group with deadly weapons without being noticed. But not right now. When Link saw his two targets firing bomb arrows at him, he started going in a zig-zag motion and drew his bow. He notched an ice arrow, aiming and releasing at the Yiga on the right. The arrow found its mark and froze the footsoldier in a block of ice before he could fire. The Yiga stood next to him for a second, confused.

A second was all Link needed. He dashed forward like a madman, drawing the Master Sword and swinging with all his might at the frozen footsoldier. The ice shattered, sending bits of footsoldier out into the fire and grass. Link turned his attention to the second Yiga, forcing his bow to face the ground, unaware of the bomb arrows notched in the bow. The Yiga releases, triggering an explosion at their feet. The blast sends Link flying, spinning in the air and unable to hear due to the ringing in his ears. His head is hit against a rock on the floor, and Link goes unconscious. He is unable to stop himself as he tumbles down the hill and into the river.

A little bit away, Teba had just finished off the Yiga on the other side of the river. He had seen the Yiga trigger his own death and Link go into the river.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

There is nothing like being rudely awakened. Paya was sleeping when she heard a loud slam, and a thud. The sequence made Paya react bitterly. She rolled over in her bed and covered her ears with her pillow. It was probably the guards or something causing a ruckus downstairs. Who would have the common sense to do something like that at this time of night? She grumbled to herself, attempting to go back to sleep. She almost slipped back into unconsciousness when….

"PAYA! PAYA!"

Grandmother was calling. As bitter as she was, she would have to come when called. That's the woman Paya was raised as. She rose out of bed, smacking her dry lips. Her eyes felt heavy, and she had a slouch. The look in the mirror wasn't much better, as she was greeted with half closed eyes, a scowl, and messy hair. She had changed out of her formal attire so she could sleep more comfortably. That seemed to be the only thing going through her mind. A thorough desire of sleep. She blew a stand of hair out of her eyes, and turned to head down the stairs. She was greeted with Impa, Dorian, Cado, and a large, white-feathered rito, who seemed to be supporting something. She was snapped awake when she realized that they were gathered around Link. A very unconscious, very damaged Link.

"Hylia's name, what happened?!" Paya yelps, running closer to get a better look at the warrior. He was very wet. He looked like he had gone swimming in his clothes. He was very bruised, and he had a few scorch marks on his cheeks. His trousers looked like they had been dipped in ash, and his shirt didn't look much different. His golden hair was singed, and his normally gorgeous eyes were closed. Paya had to resist the urge to reach out and grab him. The rito blinks, looking down at Paya.

"Our caravan was ambushed nearby," He says, looking down at Paya with sharp, intimidating eyes. "Link was nearly killed."

"Who did this?" Impa asks. The rito's eyes narrow, sending chills down Paya's back. She had never seen a creature so intimidating.

"The Yiga. They had bomb arrows," The avian said. Dorian and Cado looked at one another, and Paya covered her mouth with her hands. "Your grandmother said you could tend to him. Can you?"

"I- of course! I have medical supplies in my room for such an emergency!" Paya took Link by his other shoulder, supporting a third of his weight. She was taught by Impa how to tend to wounds and burns, and it had come in handy whenever the Yiga have ever wanted to toy with Kakariko. But this was the first time she had ever heard of them sporting bomb arrows, and they appeared to have attacked rather violently. They carried Link's body upstairs and set him down on Paya's messy bed. Paya took a glance at what she had to work with before realizing the rito was still in the room. "I-I need to focus," She says quickly. "Go discuss what happened with Impa and the others. I know what I'm doing." The rito nods and heads out of Paya's room briskly. Paya slides the doors closed, and decides what to do first. Considering the clothes are damp, it would be imperative to get them off first.

She starts with leaning Link up against the bedpost and getting his weapons off of his person, laying them gingerly at the other side of the room. She handled them like a benevolent god would strike her down if she didn't treat them correctly. Like holy relics. She stepped back and took off his shoes, flinging them aside. It wasn't important where they went at the moment. He does the same to his shirt and his trousers. She steps back, taking a look at Link. The sight of him without his shirt and in undergarments was enough to make her go beet red, but she pushed that aside. He needs help, and the reason why became apparent when she took a closer look at his body. His shirt and legs where covered in sweat, bruises, cuts, and burns. If she had Mipha's healing ability, this would be so much easier. But her hands- which she was wringing out due to stress- were all she had. She took a deep breath, set Link on his back, and went to find a towel, her face still bright red.

Paya got one from her desk, but she realized before going to work that it needs to be dampened. The water surrounding the house should be sufficient. She ran out of her room and down the stairs, rushing past the group and to dampen the towel at the moat. When she ran back up she heard a snippet of the conversation while running past them.

"….I heard an explosion," the rito had said. "And he went tumbling into the river." Paya stopped dead in her tracks and went pale. She hadn't thought about why Link was soaking wet because she was thinking in the moment. But suddenly it was put in context. And it terrified her. Link was unconscious and underwater. He could be suspect to drowning, and she didn't check to see if that was the case. She whirled around.

"He was in the river," Paya yelped. "Why didn't you tell me?!" The rito cocked his head to the side.

"He was soaking wet," the rito said. "Why are you so red?" Paya's face started burning, and she ran up the stairs before the tears came. The nerve of that _bird_. She ran back into her room and dropped the towel onto her bed, bringing her head to Link's chest to listen for breathing. His breathing was normal, with no sign of disturbance in the airways. She sighed in relief, and brought her head back up. She realized she had blood in her hair now, and that she had just put her head to Link's chest. If it's possible, she turned even redder.

"Smooth." She muttered to herself. She took the towel and set to work.

She wiped off the blood on his arms, tracing across his shoulder blades and then headed down his chest. She was doing an effective job, with the blood on his chest being replaced by sweat dripping down her head. She lifted him back up and cared to his back. Then, he went to his legs. She took special care not to grab at anything…. risqué. After that, she wiped down his face. After pulling the towel, she appreciated change from battle worn to clean and smooth. She took a glance at Link's lips, blinked a few times, and shook her head. A few thoughts passed through her mind, but she didn't bother to go further in thought. It would probably resemble something she wrote down in her diary, and she didn't want to think about that now. She still has work to do.

She took a step back, seeing that the work she needed to do was done. She ran to her desk and looked for a hearty elixir, which would fix all of her problems. She found the red, viscous liquid in a bottle and uncorked it was a pop. She ran back to Link, lifted his head up gently, and poured some down his lips. She watched the liquid drain down his lips until it was all gone, and once again she found her focus shifted to Link's lips. After she was done getting him to drink the potion, she reached out and gently brushed them with her fingers. Then she pulled back.

Link's body started healing automatically. The burns were dissolving into lightly discolored patches of skin, and the bruises started to disappear. With that, she sat down with her back against her desk. She put her elbows to her tucked in knees and put her head in her arms, going to sleep. Tears going down her red face while doing so.

* * *

 **Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. It's extremely dangerous for unconscious people to drink. It doesn't happen. But Paya is trained, blah. This doesn't happen in real life. Don't do it.**


End file.
